Shutter slat and slat mounting



1965 D. R. FERRIS 3, 98

SHUTTER SLAT AND SLAT MOUNTING Filed Sept. 15. 1961 INVENTOR. Dav/0 R. Fer/7L5 BY WQM ATTO RNEY United States Patent 3,198,298 SHUTTER SEAT AND SLAT MQFUNTTNG David id. Ferris, Cadillac, Mich, assignor to Kysor Heater (10., Cadillac, Mich.

Filed Sept. 13, 1961, Ser. No. 137,917 2 Ciaians. (Ci. l8962) This invention relates to improvements in shutter slat and slat mounting. The principal objects of this invention are,

First, to provide an improved form of slat for shutters, particularly automotive radiator shutters, which will be less expensive to manufacture and assemble, and which will seal shut against air pressure when in use.

Second, to provide a shutter slat with an economical extruded aluminum body and long wearing steel pintles and crank that are easily secured together. Third, to provide a novel form of extruded aluminum shutter slat that combines a minimum of metal with maximum transverse rigidity.

Fourth, to provide a shutter slat that may be extruded as a continuous element and cut to the desired length and in which stiffening flanges along the length of the slat serve as pintle retaining elements at the ends of the slat.

Fifth, to provide a shutter slat with a flexible gasket along one edge that will seal against an adjacent slat.

Sixth, to provide a shutterwith sealing gaskets on the slats that have reversely turned free edges faced forwardly so that air pressure directed against the face of the shutter acts to seal the gaskets more securely against the adjacent slat.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from a consideration of the following description and claims. The drawings, of which there is one sheet, illustrate a highly practical form of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary front elevational view of an automotive radiator shutter embodying the invention.

.FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side or edge elevational view of the shutter with a radiator conventionally illustrated and one shutter slat shown in open position in dotted lines.

along the plane of the lines-33 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken along the plane of the broken line 4-4 in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary enlarged cross sectional view taken along the plane of the line 5 5 in FIG. 1.

The assembled shutter includes a suitable rectangular frame 1 which is attachable to a radiator 2 to enclose the grille or opening of the radiator. A plurality of similar slats 3 have pintles 4 and 5 on opposite ends received in bearings 6 in the two upright mounting bars 7 that are screwed to the sides of the frame at 3. The pintles S are associated with eccentric cranks 9 that are received in holes in an upright actuator bar Til. The bar 1!) carries an operating pin 11 extending through a slot 12 in the side of the frame 1. The operating pin is received in a drive block 13 on the lower end of an operating rod 14 that extends upwardly to the crank 15 of an operating cylinder 16. The cylinder in is operated by controls not illustrated to lift the rod 14 and crank 9 to close the slats 3 when no air circulation over the radiator is desired. A spring 17 connected between the block 13 and frame 1 lowers the cranks to open the shutter and assures that the shutter will fail safe in the event of failure of the cylinder 16. Such arrangements of shutter mounting and operating mechanisms are old in the art.

The novel slat 3 used in the shutter is a continuous extrusion of metal such as aluminum cut to the desired length. It has an outer orfront convex face 18 terminat- FIG. 3is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken ice ing on the lower edge in a generally triangular thickened rib 19. On the lower side of its rear face the slat is concave along a curved surface 20 that is of slightly greater or diverging radius relative to the face 18 so that the slat thickens slightly toward the center. Approximately in the center of the rear face are spaced longitudinally parallel ribs 21 with oppositely inwardly inclined tips 22. The center of the slat between the ribs is thickened inwardly of the concave face 20 as at 23 and the combination of the ribs 91 and thickened portion 23 provides a stiff cross section that resists longitudinal bending of the slat under air pressure with a minimum of material.

At its upper edge the slat 3 has a short rearwardly turned flange 24 with a further rearwardly. extending L-shaped rib 25 spaced laterally inwardly from the flange and coacting therewith to form a gasket retaining groove 26. The rear face of the slat between the L-shaped rib 25 and the adjacent rib 2]; is inclined laterally inwardly of the slat to form a thickened part 27. A continuous deformable sealing gasket indicated generally at 28 is received and retained in the groove 26. The gasket has an enlarged generally rectangular inner edge 29 re- *ceived in the groove with an outwardly tapering wall 3% projecting from the outer edge or" the groove. At its outer edge, the wall 359 which is relatively stiff has a thin relatively flexible reversely turned lip 31. When the slats of the shutter are closed as shown in FIG. 5 the lip 31 on one gasket seals and deflects against the sealing face on the edge rib 19 of the super-adjacent slat leaving an open gap or slot 32 to the rearwardly facing side of the lip 31. Air pressure created by the movement of the vehicle enters the slot 32 and holds the gasket sealed against the coacting slat. The shutter is thus effectively closed and prevents cooling air from passing through the radiator.

The pintles 4 and 5 are turned or formed on steel parts having laterally projecting flanges 33 that are slid in retaining engagement between the spaced ribs 21 and under the inclined tip 22. The pintles and their flanges are retained in place by striking or bending down the flanges 22 as at 34. The steel pintles having hard bearing surfaces are thus easily and permanently connected to the relatively soft aluminum of the extruded slats.

The crank pins 9, also of steel are formed on rods having laterally turned arms 35 with semi-cylindrical tips 36 fitted over the inner ends of the pintle forming parts 5 and spot welded thereto as indicated at 37 in FIG. 3. The pintles and cranks are thus simple and relatively easy to manufacture and assemble on the slats and provide long wearing bearing parts for the slats. The pintles and crank of several slats are easilyassembled into the bearings of a pair of mounting bars '7 and an actuating bar lt) and after the bars 7 are secured to the frame 1 there is no way for the slats to become disengaged.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A radiator shutter comprising a plurality of slats pivotally mounted at their ends on opposite sides of a frame by pintles on the slats,

said pint-les being like parts having inner portions of uniform non-circular cross section with outer ends of circular cross section projecting beyond the ends of the slats as pivots,

crank arms on one end of the slats projecting alongside of the pintles and engaged with an operating bar common to all the pintles and slats,

said crank arms being tangled pieces having their inner ends secured by welding to the non-circular portions of one of said pintles,

said slats having spaced longitudinal stiffening ribs on their back side deformed into retaining engagement with the non-circular portions of said pintles.

2. A radiator shutter comprising a plurality of slats ing transversely from the slats and with reversely pivotally mounted at their ends on opposite sides of a turned forwardly facing relatively thin and flexible frame by pintles on the slats, lips on their edges spaced outwardly from the edges said pintles being like parts having inner portions of of the slats and sealingly engageable with an adjauniform non-circular cross section with outer'ends 5 cent slat. of circular cross section projecting beyond the ends f the slats as pivots, i References Cited by the Examiner CITE 131i argnshon c115 end (of the slats trkojecting alcingv UNITED STATES PATENTS s1 e o e pm es an engage W1 an opera mg bar common to all the pintles and slats, 10 g ii 3 said crank arms being angled pieces having their inner V 5 son 6 ends secured by welding to the non-circular por- P 91 0 ga 20749 tions of one of said pintles, 2622672 12/52 Thomas 160-43 said slats having spaced stiffening ribs on their back 2630537 3/53 Wlegman et 5 160 6 A side deformed into retaining engagement with the 15 non-circular portions of said pintles,

other ribs on one edge of said slats forming a gasket 1' HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examilwi retaining groove therealong, and deformable gaskets having base portions retained GEORGE A. NINAS, JR., BENJAMIN BENDETT,

in said grooves Withrelatively rigid walls project- 20 Examiners. 

1. A RADIATOR SHUTTER COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF SLOTS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED AT THEIR ENDS ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF A FRAME BY PINTLES ON THE SLATS, SAID PINTLES BEING LIKE PARTS HAVING INNER PORTION S OF UNIFORM NON-CIRCULAR CROSS SECTION WITH OUTER ENDS OF CIRCULAR CROSS SECTION PROJECTING BEYOND THE ENDS OF THE SLATS AS PIVOTS, CRANK ARMS ON ONE END OF THE SLATS PROJECTING ALONGSIDE OF THE PINTLES AND ENGAGED WITH AN OPERATING BAR COMMON TO ALL THE PINTLES AND SLATS, SAID CRANK ARMS BEING ANGLED PIECES HAVING THEIR INNER ENDS SECURED BY WELDING TO THE NON-CIRCULAR PORTIONS OF ONE OF SAID PINTLES, SAID SLATS HAVING SPACED LONGITUDINAL STIFFENING RIBS ON THEIR BACK SIDE DEFORMED INTO RETAINING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE NON-CIRCULAR PORTIONS OF SAID PINTLES. 